Posted by BMT Micro

Reading Time: 3minutes

Have you ever felt like a deer in headlights when someone asks you to introduce yourself and describe your work? What about when you meet someone and they ask you to tell them about your game or software? Are you prepared to answer this and to sell the idea of your game or software to anyone you meet? This may seem like a difficult task but with the right tools it can be quite easy.

A technique called an ‘elevator pitch‘ is a huge asset to have when you are pitching your game or software to anyone. An elevator pitch can build excitement and get people interested in what you have to offer in a nutshell. Furthermore, when you perfect your pitch, you will be able to sell anyone on the idea behind your game or software.

So what exactly is an elevator pitch? Think of it this way: you are in an elevator and you start chatting with someone. They ask what you do and you have between 30 seconds to 2 minutes (depending on the number of floors you are traveling) to get them interested in concept of your game or software. This is your elevator pitch and having a well-prepared one gives you the opportunity to catch someone’s attention rather than lose it.

An elevator pitch is meant to help you effectively pitch your game or software to publishers, journalists, or anyone you meet. If you are at a convention and a journalists walks up to you and asks what you can tell them about your game, you don’t want to respond with “uhh, well, our game is about uh.. you know…” You need to respond with a confident, quick summary that covers every aspect of your game. And if you succeed, that journalists should be intrigued and able to walk away fully knowing the concept. This is how you get your point across quickly and effectively.

Think about what makes your game interesting or what makes your software different from the rest. You need to be able to tell someone enough about your game or software for them to make a judgment in a short amount of time. The goal of your elevator pitch is to make the right people remember you.

As we mentioned before, you have about thirty seconds to two minutes to say it all. Don’t go into an explanation of your entire backstory. You need to deliver a quick, one-sentence description of the concept and move on.

You need a hook. What makes your game different from the rest of the games in your genre? What makes your software stand out? Identify what makes your game or software unique. Remember, your goal is to make people remember you.

Practice. Like anything else practice makes perfect. Keep in mind that how you say something is just as important as what you say. If you do not practice you run the risk of talking too fast, sounding unnatural or even forgetting important parts of your pitch. Also make sure you are aware of your body language as you talk. You can practice in front of a mirror or in front of staff, colleagues, family or friends until your pitch feels natural and you are comfortable.

Demonstrate that you are someone worth working with and also think of your pitch as an interview. How do you respond to questions? Can you think creatively on your feet? You are not just pitching your game, you are also pitching yourself as someone who is desirable to work with. Sell your game or software first, but don’t forget to sell yourself as well.

An elevator pitch is a precious tool and once you have created it, you can utilize it on your website, in your marketing efforts, and at networking events. We love to hear from you! If you have an elevator pitch already, feel free to share it with us and post it in the comments.

Posted by BMT Micro

Reading Time: 3minutes

SSL.com defines Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) as “the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers.”

Meaning when you enter sensitive information into a webpage without SSL, you run the risk of it being intercepted by a prying hacker. This is how your sensitive, personal information can be stolen over the Internet. This interception in the hacking world is most commonly known as a man-in-the-middle attack.

Man-in-the-middle attacks use a technique called ARP spoofing to insert into the communication between a client system and a server system. In other words, the attack tricks the client system into thinking it is communicating with the server system and vice versa. This attack can be used to monitor the network traffic between the two systems, which enables the hacker to steal valuable data or security credentials like IDs or passwords.

But when a website is protected with SSL the same thing happens between the systems, but this time the hacker receives the information in an encrypted format that is useless to them. An online business can make it difficult for anyone to view his or her network traffic by using an encrypted network connection provided by SSL.

To tell if a website is protected start by looking at the URL. If the URL begins with http://, it is relatively easy for a hacker to intercept the communication. However, when communication over a site beginning with https://, your web browser uses certificates to verify the identity of the servers you are connecting to. An SSL certificate also includes a field for a “signature”. This signature is the name of the party that has verified that the certificate originates from the site it is attempting communication with. If the certificate is signed by a third-party called a Certificate Authority (CA), your browser has assurance that the certificate originates from that site owner.

There are different levels of assurance that are provided by Certificate Authorities. If your website is handling financial transactions, you want your site visitors assured that their information is protected and you are a legitimate business. This requires an online business to obtain an Enhanced Validation SSL, which is the highest level of assurance provided.

If you are looking to get an SSL certificate for your website, you will need to figure out which type of certificate fits your business needs. An additional option is using a payment processor like BMT Micro. We can save you the time and the expense necessary to keep your customer’s information safe. All BMT Micro servers are fully secured and host all shopping carts using the highest encryption standard available, Extended Validation SSL. EV SSL certificates provide 256-bit encryption and enable the most visible security indicator (the green address bar) in high-security browsers. This assures customers that the shopping cart is secure and our identity has been authenticated to the industry’s highest standard.

If you would like to learn more about what BMT Micro can offer your business please feel free to contact our vendor services via email at vendors@bmtmicro.com.

We are also hosting a live Twitter Q&A for independent developers and established firms with an interest in outsourcing their e-commerce needs. If you have questions about what BMT Micro can offer you, join our Twitter Q&A and ask your questions during the week of Sept. 28th leading up to the Q&A on Oct. 2nd. To find out more information about our Twitter Q&A click here.

Posted by BMT Micro

Reading Time: 1

On Friday, October 2nd BMT Micro will be hosting a live Twitter Q&A session for independent developers and established firms with an interest in outsourcing their e-commerce needs. We will be answering questions about BMT Micro’s services & offerings and how to get started with BMT Micro on our Twitter account starting at 1PM EST. The Q&A is set to last for 30 minutes and a blog post summarizing all the questions asked and the answers will be posted to the BMT Micro blog following the Q&A. You can submit your questions throughout the week of Sept. 28th leading up to the Q&A on Oct. 2nd. Tweet your questions to @BMTMicro using the hashtag#AskBMT or if you are not on Twitter but would still like to participate, you can join our Facebook event to post your questions there. If your question does not get answered during the live Q&A, it will still be answered in the blog post following the event. If you have any questions please contact our marketing specialist via email at leah@bmtmicro.com

Posted by BMT Micro

Reading Time: 3minutes

If your business is looking to increase revenue, the key is to get to know your customers better, understand their emotional triggers and their decision making process. The six principles of persuasion can help your business address how to influence people, tend to their emotional needs and boost conversions. However, influencing others can be a challenge which is why it is worth understanding the six psychological principles behind persuasion.

ReciprocityReciprocity in social psychology refers to responding to a positive action with another positive action. In other words, if you do something nice for someone, they will feel compelled to do something nice for you in return.

But how does this apply to an online business? It is as simple as giving away free stuff and then following with a request. For example, you offer your site visitors a free guide, e-book, discount, etc. but in return they must provide their name and email to obtain it. This shows that your site visitors are willing to reciprocate by providing their information for exclusive content or deals you are willing to give away.

ScarcityScarcity in social psychology works much like scarcity in economics. Simply put, we place a higher value on an object that is scarce and a lower value on those that are abundant.

In other words, the feeling of missing out fuels scarcity. People like the idea of buying things that are rare or hard to come by. If something is marketed as a “limited time offer” people will rush to buy it because they feel a sense of urgency and fear of loss. This is a good starting point for any business to see how your customers will respond to a limited time discount.

AuthorityAuthority is an essential aspect for any online business. As humans, we allow experts and those considered thought-leaders or authority features on any given subject to influence us. Why? Because most of us realize we can’t be experts at everything and we trust and respect those in authority.

This is where having a company blog can play a great role. By putting out great content and proving you are a thought-leader in your industry, you can become someone’s go-to resource on that subject.

Commitment & ConsistencyHumans have a deep need to be consistent and they want to be consistent in their decision-making. When we make an internal or public commitment, we tend to follow through with it to preserve our self-image.

Businesses can utilize this by getting customers commitment early or start by asking for small commitments upfront. If you start with a small commitment, your customers are far more likely to say yes to a big request if they have already committed to a smaller, similar one. An example of this could be getting your customer to commit to a one-month trial before taking them to a payment page.

LikingPeople are more likely to say yes to a person (or product) if they like them. Likeability is a huge influencing factor and the best way to utilize it is by building trust and good relationships with your customers. However, this will take time since trust and likeability are not built overnight.

In general, people are easily persuaded and like to do business with people they like. People also like those who are similar to them so it is a good idea to find something you can relate to with your customers. If you are genuine and real, people will like you.

Social ProofSocial Proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. In short, people will do things they see other people doing. Humans are natural social creatures and for the most part, will look to the actions of others to determine their own.

It is a good idea for a business to have some sort of social proof or testimonials on their website. People want to feel that they are not the only ones using a product or service. This is why you see businesses using testimonials, reviews, and well-known logos to show off satisfied customers and that they can be trusted.

Businesses and marketers have used these six principles for decades. If you have a clear understanding of these principles and apply them to your business properly, you’ll notice an unmistakable boost in your conversions and customer satisfaction over time.

If you are a vendor with BMT Micro and you have questions or need help with your marketing, we may be able to help. A Marketing Analysis and other Marketing services are currently available for our vendors. If you would like to learn more about the services we offer, please contact our Marketing Specialist via email at leah@bmtmicro.com for more information.

Posted by BMT Micro

Reading Time: 3minutes

If your business is looking for a more personal way to connect with your customers, exploring a new social media platform could be the answer. Periscope offers an interesting new way to build a community around your brand through live-streaming video. The app drives engagement and brand awareness by giving your customers an unedited and raw look at your business. If you are unfamiliar with Periscope, it is a popular live video streaming app (for iOS and Android) that was purchased by Twitter in March of this year. Periscope allows you to live stream video to strangers and your Twitter followers from your phone or tablet. The app has gained a lot of attention already and according to the latest stats released by Periscope, there are over 7 million registered users on Periscope and 36 million+ broadcasts have been created in the past 3 months.

Since Periscope is still somewhat of a new social media channel, businesses are not sure how to utilize the app to drive new business yet. For online businesses, Periscope provides a different opportunity to boost your business and create relationships with your customers. Jumping on a platform early that has so much potential can transform and grow your business. There are a ton of ways that Periscope can be used to market your brand and if you are already utilizing a blog or social media for your online marketing, Periscope can be an additional tool for brand building.

How to Utilize Periscope for your Business

Insider Videos A live broadcast can showcase or demonstrate your product and educate customers on what all your business offers. It can also demonstrate the quality of your products. By giving your customers an “insider” view of your business, you can begin to build trust through transparency and develop deeper relationships. With Periscope, your insider videos can also be interactive. If you are launching a new product, you can share details with your audience on Periscope. Your viewers can ask questions during your live stream and you can answer them all in real time. This enhances your brand loyalty because as we mentioned before, it gives your brand the type of transparency consumers are looking for.

Live Q&A SessionsSimilar to the “insider video” concept, you can invite followers to submit questions during your live broadcast. By encouraging questions on the spot, you can showcase your industry knowledge and your ability to effectively communicate with your customers. A live Q&A is one of the easiest broadcasts to start off with to get comfortable with using Periscope. A good place you can start is by taking the most frequently asked questions you get from your customers and answer them.

Email List BuildingYour Periscope broadcast can also be an opportunity to build your mailing list. During your broadcast, you should be asking viewers to leave their email address in the comments section. If you are putting out great content that your viewers see value in, they should have no problem giving you their email address and further engaging with your brand.

Personalized Customer ExperiencePeriscope can give you the ability to take live customer support to a whole other level. An example of this could be walking a customer through a process live on Periscope. There may not be a need for this in your business but the more creative you are with your support, the more you will stand out and be memorable. If your business does not see a need for this type of customer support, invite your customers to a live Q&A where you can ask them questions and get their feedback in real time. This will allow you to begin pulling a lot of useful information from your customers and help you improve your business or product.

Since Periscope is still a fairly new platform, there are not many established best practices for businesses and brands yet. By staying up to date with the latest technologies, you can explore new platforms while they’re still young and exciting. After all, creating a presence on additional social platforms so potential customers can find you is never a bad thing. With Periscope you can create an “in-the-moment” experience by having real-time, chat-based conversations with your viewers and customers.

If you are a vendor with BMT Micro and you have questions or need help with your social media marketing, we may be able to help. A Marketing Analysis and other Marketing services are currently available for our vendors. If you would like to learn more about the services we offer, please contact our Marketing Specialist via email at leah@bmtmicro.com for more information.